Greenwood church may fight daycare shutdown

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GREENWOOD – White River Baptist Church in Greenwood indicates it may fight a state order to close its daycare operation next week.

Little Angels Daycare and Preschool has been served with a letter of registration termination by the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration.

The letter, dated January 31, found that the church-operated daycare violated state code requiring that “the childcare ministry must do the following: Refrain from employing, or allowing to serve as a volunteer, an individual who: is a person against whom an allegation of child abuse or neglect has been substantiated.”

The parents of approximately 130 children have less than a week to find alternative child care. The shutdown would take effect Feb. 13.

The state termination order stems from a 2012 investigation in which a church deacon was accused of inappropriately touching a 5-year-old girl.

Greenwood police detectives could not substantiate the allegation, but state child protective services investigators did.

“We had conversations with the facility letting them know that if they wanted to operate as a registered childcare ministry they were not able to have this individual on the grounds and reached an agreement at that time,” said Melanie Brizzi, child care administrator of the Bureau of Child Care. “When we went back on January 30, he was found to be on the premises.”

Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Matt Fillenwarth told Fox59 News that the man was thought to be a deacon at the church and his office was adjacent to the childcare facility. He also continued to participate in other church activities.

Greenwood Police are checking out other recent complaints.

State investigators visited the church after a father complained last week that his son was left alone on a bus for more than an hour. That complaint was confirmed, but would not have been sufficient to terminate the daycare’s registration according to Brizzi.

“When the safety of children is jeopardized then we have to take immediate action,” she said.

Church daycares operate under a different set of rules than commercial sites in Indiana.

“Registered ministries do not have what we call staff-to-child ratios,” Brizzi explained. “There’s also no requirement for daily nutrition, meals, snacks. There are no teacher education or background training requirements for staff within a registered ministry. They also don’t have to actively supervise or watch and be in the same room with children.”

Brizzi said parents searching for alternative childcare options will find there are 46 licensed facilities in Johnson County. More than half of those are within a three-mile radius of the church.

28 comments

Anonymous

My children are at Little Angels daycare. According to what was said at the parent’s meeting last night, this statement… “We had conversations with the facility letting them know that if they wanted to operate as a registered childcare ministry they were not able to have this individual on the grounds and reached an agreement at that time,” Is not entirely correct. The daycare was never notified that the accusation was substantiated even after multiple calls by daycare staff to the FSSA.The daycare reported the incident, but FSSA did not respond within the 30 days that their rules state they will respond. FSSA did not respond until 9 months after the incident was reported by the daycare staff. The daycare is being penalized for the lack of action by FSSA. The daycare did make mistakes, but the closure is an over reaction. This is going to put a huge burden on all of the parents that must find alternate daycare and on the staff (who did nothing wrong) if/when they lose their jobs.

Anonymous

Tom Tennessee

Have you noticed that NOT net church member is speaking up publicly with their name used, and taking up for the Deacon or Preacher who touched the little girl?

Have you noticed that not one Mother is publicly posting the Preacher or Deacon could have touched her little girl and it would be OK, forgotten about the her child still attend White River Paptist church like is is all good now.

Tom Tennessee

I am from the Deep South. It is obvious for objective, educated, readers from other states there are no educated folks attending this church. A man with an educated and back-bone woud have wrote a certified letter to the Governor and FSSA.

Then he would have produced the copy to the news media and church members. The news media here, interviewed a 7 yr old boy. How silly and laughable are the residents of Indiana? Until today, I did not know how simple minded the residents of Indiana are.

Unknown

Simple minded is to lump all residents of Indiana as members of one baptist church in Greeenwood!
Of course folks in TN have impeccable reputations for intelligence, so this post should not surprise me?

Tom Tennessee

I would pay $ big $ money if one, only 1, person from IND would post how wrong and horrible it is for this Baptist Church pastor and all the Deacons to have remained quiet, coving for their fellow male molester, and never speaking up about the molested girl.

No one, not one, person from IND is posting about the victim.
The 5 yr old girl. Everyone posting here is Catholic or they are coached by a Priest on how to molest kids, then post to cover for the Deacon, Preacher or Priest or which ever position they have.

Anonymous

As a member and parent i am concerned for the overall situation. I do not feel personally that any children in the daycare are in any danger. I feel personally that the situation needs to be addressed but in a calm collective mannor. Getting all the facts not feelings and seperating emotions is key. It is easy for us all including myself to let emotions and non factual information color our thoughts and actions. We all need to give this over to the Lord seek his face, guidence, and direction on what choices parents, staff, and church members involved should do. Let the law have its time for due process. I speak from my faith in Jesus Christ that God is in control and He will be glorified thru all of this. Prayers for everyone involve God Bless

Father or Two

I'm furious about the state closing it!! You'll have hundreds of children's lives' shattered when taken out of a SAFE AND SOUND environment, away from their friends, many half way through a year in pre-school or kindergarten. It's all about what's best for the children, right? Did the State really look at the situation?? Punish the crook that's not even part of the childcare, not the innocent children!! This is SO backwards, has to be Indiana. *SHAME*

Father or Two

Out of the 23+ licensed facilities nearby (which I highly doubt, source?) I'd like to find at least one that meets or exceeds the standards at Little Angels… Seriously, looks like I'll have to fine one so share if you know of one. We went to half a dozen licensed (yes, licensed) childcare centers in the area a couple of years ago and they all failed in one or more areas of concern. Little Angels was the only one that met all our requirements.

Tom Tennessee

You require a Staff Member touching your daughter? Use your name and post it would not upset you if he does that to your daughter.

Have you noticed that NOT net church member is speaking up publicly with their name used, and taking up for the Deacon or Preacher who touched the little girl?

Have you noticed that not one Mother is publicly posting the Preacher or Deacon could have touched her little girl and it would be OK, forgotten about the her child still attend White River Paptist church like is is all good now.

HappyMomma

guest

It is sad that Little Angels seemed to make a few mistakes in areas that seem to matter most to the state. However, it is still a good and safe place to take your children. Shutting the place down seems extremely drastic. What happened to fines and chances to make corrective action?

Tom Tennessee

Amazing there is not one man with a back-bone in IND.

Has anyone read here, or Fox News? Or ABC news where the Pastor, Deacons and parents spoke out in TRUTH and said they would personally stop the Baptist Church Deacon from attending the church and visiting the Dare Care as he looked for more little girls?

First of all, the allegations are against a deacon in the church NOT the pastor or any staff. He was also acting as the Treasurer for the church (this gives him more "power").

It wasn't 1 girl that was subjected to this sick man. They have reopened this case and have now found that there are many young girls that were subjected to this SICK and TWISTED man who calls himself a MAN OF GOD!

Here is a thought?

Maybe IND and the Baptist Church can 'rent' some real men from Chicago or NYC to take care of the Baptist Pastor and all the Deacons and all the men in church?

Tired of it all

Do I think sexual abuse is okay – NO not under any circumstance
Do I support the daycare – Maybe, it depends on what is found out
Do I believe everything I see on Fox 59 news – No and neither should you

Tom Tennessee

guest

Every comment you have made has been incoherent, rambling and grammatically poor. You haven't contributed a single rational thought to the discussion. Your claims of being educated are questionable. Please leave the board and let moderately intelligent peoople discuss an important issue.

His Word

Prov 20:19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.
Prov 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Lev 19:16 "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.
Rom 1:29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
Prov 17:4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.
2 Cor 12:19-21 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

Tom Tennessee

This comment from "His Word" was written by the Pastor or the Deacon or the guy who tuched the little girl. All religious folks who get caught with little girls post stuff like they did in the desperate hope of stopping Americans and Justice from the verse, "The LAW is for the lawless."

The Catholic Bishops and Priests posted this same verses when they got cause molesting little boys. Preachers and Priests know how to control the simple minded with fear, etc.

The Pope would be pround of "His Word" for leaving out the verse, "The LAW if for the lawless."

Tired of it all

You may say you are educated but from my standpoint you are nothing but a bully. Do you not understand that many many people are hurting here. It is more complicated that what is being portrayed in the news. The families are trying to make decisions based on the information available and what is best for their children. I am doing the same and I am not simple minded.

Anonymous

You clearly DO NOT have a clear understanding of what is occurring at LA.

First of all, the allegations are against a deacon in the church NOT the pastor or any staff. He was also acting as the Treasurer for the church (this gives him more "power").

It wasn't 1 girl that was subjected to this sick man. They have reopened this case and have now found that there are many young girls that were subjected to this SICK and TWISTED man who calls himself a MAN OF GOD!

I do blame the state for not doing their job! You are only getting a fourth of the story and what you are getting from the media is being sensationalized for the sake of a story. This man has an agenda, wants the Senior Pastor out so he can he can be put in control and he has brainwashed some in the church to follow him.

The children and staff are the ones suffering here. Satan is the one winning this battle. He wants these doors closed because they are an EXCELLENT daycare that provides a loving, safe, caring, educational and christian environment for these children and their families. I have called the state on another facility and they NEVER followed up on my valid complaints.

Go after the abuser vs. shutting down the daycare facility. Until you have had a child in LA's do NOT try to act like you know what is going on because you do not and/or you have been completely misinformed!!